Learn about the art of bentwood boxes, guided by Suquamish Museum Director Lisa Jackson. Bentwood boxes are traditionally made from a single piece of cedar, which is steamed, bent, and sealed to form a watertight container. Historically, these boxes were in use along the entire coast of North America, from Alaska to California. Today, bentwood boxes are much less common, limited by the loss of cedar trees and of craftspeople able to teach their construction. The Suquamish Museum is home to a large-scale bentwood box created by Randi Purser, who will be teaching at BARN in April 2026 as part of Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026. Many thanks to the Suquamish Museum for sharing their collection with us! Visit the Suquamish Museum online at SuquamishMuseum.org. Find BARN at bainbridgebarn.org.
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The Art of Bentwood Boxes with Suquamish Museum Director Lisa Jackson

Meet poet Ricardo Ruiz, who will be teaching with us during Handwork Week. Ricardo's five-day workshop, Portals of the Poetic Self: The Five Senses, will help you transform your poetry from simple language to an authentic sensory experience. Register today at BainbridgeBARN.org/Handwork #bainbridgebarn #bainbridgeisland #poetry #poetryworkshop #seattle #handwork2026
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Purpose Through Poetry: Meet Ricardo Ruiz #poetry #seattle #poetrycommunity

Ricardo Ruiz wasn't supposed to become an award-winning poet. But sometimes life has other plans. The son of Mexican immigrants, Ruiz joined the military after a tumultuous youth. When he returned home, he found himself struggling with combat trauma, with no clear path forward. Then he found poetry, and it changed everything. In this powerful talk, award-winning poet Ricardo Ruiz shares his raw, unfiltered journey from growing up watching his parents work the agricultural fields of Eastern Washington to serving 7.5 years in the military, battling combat trauma, and ultimately discovering his voice through verse. He reads two of his original poems from his first book, We Had Our Reasons, and reveals the moment a single letter from a student made every late-night struggle over his manuscript worth it. You'll hear about: • Why poetry became his lifeline when therapy wasn't accessible • How Wordsworth inspired him to tell the stories of farmworkers and mechanics • The undocumented worker poisoned by pesticides, who was too afraid to go to the hospital • What it means when a kid finally sees himself in a poem for the first time "Poetry is an act of revolution. Writing is the way to change." 🏆 His debut collection, We Had Our Reasons, won the Washington State Book Award. Ricardo Ruiz is teaching at BARN as part of Handwork Week 2026. Learn more at BainbridgeBARN.org/Handwork #poetry #immigrantstories #writingcommunity
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From Fields to Pages: How Poetry Saved My Life | Ricardo Ruiz

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Intensive Writing Workshops at BARN #handwork2026 #bainbridgeisland #writing #writingcommunity

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Live Romance Readings at BARN! #romancebooks #bainbridgeisland #romantasy #livereading

Join UW professor and landscape architect Daniel Winterbottom for a 5-day workshop on urban or field sketching. You'll learn drawing and painting skills and also explore the role of sketching in reportage/documentation, storytelling, and a way to understand one's world at a deeper level through observation and documentation. Present as part of Handwork Week at BARN, April 27 - May 1, 2026. Learn more at bainbridgebarn.org/Handwork #bainbridgebarn #urbansketching #handwork2026
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Sketching Workshop at BARN #urbansketching #sketching #handwork2026 #bainbridgeisland

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Make Salish-Style Bentwood Boxes at BARN #bainbridgeisland #handwork2026 #indigenousart

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Learn Book Arts from Alisa Banks at BARN #handwork2026 #artistbook #bainbridgeisland

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Discover Handwork 2026 at BARN #bainbridgeisland #workshop #handwork2026

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